Filament coiling apparatus and method of driving same



Feb. 1, 1966 H. L. KITSELMAN FILAMENT COILING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING SAME Filed June 1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. K7 7-5/1 MA /\1 H 52 J3 'Illl HAPPY L. M

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BY ymj wzj A?" TOP/V5845 Feb. 1, 1966 H. L. KITSELMAN FILAMENT COILING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1, 1964 I NVENTOR. ff/ TSEL MA HA RRY W/W/M ATTORNE Y5 Feb. 1, 1966 H. KITSELMAN FILAMENT'COILING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING SAME Filed June 1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ml: d

INVENTOR HAQRY L. .K/TsELMA/v BY WJWM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,232,552 FEAMENT COILING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING SAME Harry L. Kitselman, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Acrometal Products, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,470 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-82) This invention relates generally to filament handling apparatus, and more particularly, to apparatus for coiling filaments such as wire and the like.

In the manufacture of filaments, such as wire, the material is drawn through one or more dies to obtain the desired wire diameter, after which the wire is wound on spools or formed into coils, for storage or shipment, by coiling the wire around a non-rotating capstan or dead block, or within a suitable container. Drawing the wire through the final die is usually accomplished by a power driven cylindrical member, commonly known as a finishing block, around which several turns of the wire are wound to provide sufficient frictional contact therebetween and the finishing block to enable the finishing block to draw the wire through the die. The wire is wound upon and unwound from the finishing block continuously during rotation of the finishing block, and travels to a filament coiling device which forms the wire into a loop. Coiling devices commonly used involve a rotary fiyer which forms a loop at each revolution, each loop falling by gravity upon previously formed loops to build up the coil.

In the coiling of a filament, such as wire, as set forth above, it is important that the speed of rotation of the rotary fiyer or coiler element be accurately controlled to prevent a build-up of filament on the finishing block or stripping of the filament therefrom. Heretofore, in some instances, special motors having speed control apparatus associated therewith have been used, these being relatively expensive and cumbersome and not always uniform as to speed control. In other instances, the coiler element has been driven by transmission means including a power take-off from the finishing block drive mechanism and variable speed transmission mechanism, this also being a relatively costly procedure.

An important object of this invention is the provision of novel means for driving a rotary coiler element from the finishing block driving mechanism, which eliminates the necessity of a separate driving motor and controls therefor, or elaborate transmission mechanism.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means whereby a rotary coiler element is driven at a coiling speed directly related to the speed of rotation of a filament feeding finishing block, and which coiling speed automatically varies in accordance with variations of speed of rotation of the finishing block.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a filament coiling apparatus which is driven by the filament to be coiled.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of drive means for a filament coiling apparatus which includes variable speed transmission mechanism for trimming the coiling speed relative to the filament drawing speed of the finishing block.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel method of driving a filament coiling apparatus from a power driven filament drawing finishing block.

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The above, and further highly important objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like references indicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a wire drawing and coiling apparatus produced in accordance with this invention, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2, some parts being removed;

FIG. 6 is a still further enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1 but showing a modified form; and

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 3 but having a modified filament driving arrangement.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings, a conventional wire drawing die is shown diagrammatically and indicated at 1, the die 1 being mounted on a supporting base 2 on which is rotatably mounted a cylindrical finishing block 3. As shown, the finishing block 3 is in the nature of a spool having a vertical axis and comprising a cylindrical portion 4 and upper and lower end flanges 5 and 6 respectively, the latter of which is supported on the top wall 7 of the base 2 by means of an annular bearing 8. Further, the finishing block 3 is journalled on a central shaft 9 mounted in the base 2, the bottom flange 6 being formed to provide a depending annular skirt it) having gear teeth 11 which intermesh with the teeth of an idler gear 12 suitably journalled in the base 2. A drive motor 13 mounted in the base 2 imparts rotation to the finishing block 3 by means of a pinion 14 mounted on the shaft 15 of the motor 13 and having intermeshing engagement with the idler gear 12.

Apparatus for forming wire into a coil involves a frame structure 16 comprising a base plate 17 disposed adjacent one side of the base 2, upstanding legs 18 and a horizontally disposed top plate 19. The frame structure 16 is preferably made from metal, the legs 18 being welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the base plate 17 and reinforced by gussets or the like 20, the top plate 19 being welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the upper ends of the legs 18. A coil receiving device is adapted to be placed on the base plate 17 intermediate the legs 18, this device comprising a horizontally disposed foot element 21 and an upstanding open core 22 about which loops of filament, such as Wire, are loosely coiled, as will hereinafter appear.

A wire coiling device 23 is carried by the top plate 19 intermediate the legs 18, and comprises an annular stationary pulley 24 rigidly suspended from the top plate 19 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs 25', a vertically disposed tubular shaft 26 axially aligned with the pulley 24 and journalled in a bearing 27 rigidly secured to the top plate 19, and a rotary flyer comprising a bar 28 secured to the lower end of the tubular shaft 26 by means of a pair of legs 29 and a pair of pulleys 30 and 31 journalled to opposite ends of the bar 28. As shown, the stationary pulley 24 is horizontally disposed, the common vertical axis of the pulley 24 and tubular shaft 26 being substantially aligned with the axis of the core 22 of the wire or filament receiving device. Further, the bar 28 underlies the stationary pulley 24, the pulleys 30 and 31 being disposed radially outwardly of the stationary pulley 24 and in substantial alignment therewith. Further, the bar 28 carries a guide pulley 32 adjacent the axis of the stationary pulley 24 and tubular shaft 26, the guide pulley 32 being suitably mounted on the bar 28 for rotation on a horizontal axis. The bar 28 and pulleys 3i and 31 are commonly referred to as a flyer, and are of the type more clearly shown and described in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 3,106,354.

A pair of other guide pulleys 33 and 34 are journalled on respective brackets 35 and 36 bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the to plate 19, the guide pulley 33 overlying the finishing block 3 and the pulley 34 substantially overlying the tubular shaft 26 of the coiling device 23. The filament, such as Wire, to be coiled, as indicated by the reference character W, is drawn through the drawing or finishing die 1 from whence it is woundon the finishing block 3 in a plurality of convolntions, the wire W extending from the finishing block 3 over the guide pulleys 33 and 34, downwardly through the tubular shaft 26, partially around the guide pulley 32 from whence it is entrained about the pulleys 30 and 31 and the annular stationary pulley 24 in the manner disclosed in my prior patent aboveidentified, see particularly FIGS. and 6 thereof. From thence. the wire W falls in descending loops about the core 2 2 to form a coil C.

The wire W is guided from the finishing block 3 to the pulley 33 by a tubular guide member 37 mounted'on the bracket 35 and a wrapping off arm 38 that overlies and extends diametrically of the flange 5 of the finishing block 3. At its central portion, the wrapping off arm 38 is provided with a bearing 39 that is journalled on the upper end of the shaft 9, a friction washer 40 being interposed between the bearing 39 and a central boss 41 on the flange 5. The bearing 39 is yieldingly urged against the friction washer 4t and toward'the boss 41 by a coil compression spring 42. that is interposed between the bearing 39 and a washer 43 that is slidably mounted on an upwardly projecting screw threaded axial extension 44 of the shaft 9, see particularly FIG. 5. The washer 43 is keyed to the extension 44 to be held against rotation thereon, and yielding bias of the spring 42 is adjusted by means of an adjustment nut 4-5 screw threaded on the extension 44 and engagingthe top surface of the washer 43. One end of thewrapp'ing off arm 38 is formed to provide a guide loop 46through which the wire W extends, the opposite end of the wrapping off arm 38 having journalled thereon a roller 47 having rolling engagement with the topsurface of the top flange 5.

For the purpose of imparting wire coiling rotation to the tubular shaft 26, bar 28 and pulleys 3t) and 31 carried thereby, I provide novel mechanism now to be described. A vertically disposed drive shaft 48 is journalled in bearings 49 and 5d, the former mounted in the top plate 19 and the latter carried by a bearing bracket 51 bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to one of the legs 18. A conventional variable speed pulley 52 is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 48 above the top plate 19 and has entrained thereover a drive belt 53 which runs over a cooperating pulley 54 fast on the tubular shaft 26. The belt 53 also runs over an idler pulley 55 that is journalled on a carriage 56 slidably mounted on a pair of guide rods 57 that are mounted in a pair of lugs 58'extending upwardly from the top plate 19. A crank-equipped adjustment screw 59 is journalled in the lugs 58 and has screwthreaded engagement with the carriage 56. The carriage 56 is movable in a direction generally transverselyof the idler pulley engaged flight of the belt 53, responsive to rotation of the adjustment screw 59 to vary the effective diameter of the variable speed pulley 52 in the usual manner, whereby to vary the speed of rotation of the rotatable portions of the coiling device relative to the speed of the drive shaft 48. A thrust collar 60 is pinned or otherwise rigidly secured to the drive shaft 48 in overlying engagement with the bearing 50, to limit axial movement of the drive shaft 48 in a downward direction.

The coiler drive mechanism of this invention further includes a drive pulley 61 rigidly secured to the lower end of the drive shaft 43 below the bearing 5%) and preferably in driving alignment with the lower end portion of the finishing block 3. For the purpose of the present example, the drive pulley 61 is shown as comprising a pair of co operating plate-like members 62 and 63 rigidly secured together by machine screws or the like 64, the member 62 being provided with a central block having fastening means such as a pin or set screw 65 for rigidly securing the drive pulley 61 to the shaft 48. The outer peripheral portion of the plate-like member 63 is beveled, as indicated at 6&5, the beveled portion 66 cooperating with the adjacent annular face portion 67 of the plate-like member 62'to define a peripheral groove 68 for reception of the wire W, as will hereinafter be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the beveled and face portions 66 and 67 respectively converge radially inwardly at an angle which causes the wire W to be releasably wedged in the groove 63 whereby to provide for effective driving engagement between the wire W and the drive pulley 61.

The method involved in the driving of the ceiling device becomes apparent from the following description of the operation of the above-described apparatus. As shown, the wire W is passed through the drawing or finishing die 1 and is looped at least once around the cylindrical portion 4 of the finishing block 3 adjacent the bottom flange 6 thereof. From thence, the wire W extends to the drive pulley 61 where it is wedged in the peripheral groove 68 thereof and back to the finishing block 3 and wound thereon in an upwardly extending helix to provide a plurality of convolutions on the cylindrical portion 4. From thence, the wire W extends upwardly through the guide loop 46, through the guide member 37 and over the pulleys 33 and 34 from whence it extends downwardly through the tubular shaft 26 to the pulley 32. From the pulley 32, the wire W is entrained around the pulley 36 from whence it extends to the pulley 31, through a portion of the groove of the stationary pulley 24. From the pulley 31, the wire W passes into the groove of the stationary pulley 214 and extends thereabout radially inwardly of the portion of the wire extending from the pulley 30 to the pulley 31. As the wire W again approaches the pulley 31, it moves out of engagement with the stationary pulley 24 and forms a descending helix which drops over the underlying core 22 to form the coil C. The arrangement of the wire W" about the pulleys 24, 3t and 31 is clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of my prior Patent 3,106,354, reference being had thereto. Rotation of the finishing block 3, responsive toenergization of the motor-13, causes wire to be drawn through the finishing die 1, the die It setting up a resistance to movement of the wire therefrom, so that the wire is: placed under substantial tension on the finishing block 3, This condition of the wire W causes the same to be snugly wedged in the peripheral groove .68 of the drive pulley 61,. whereby rotary power may be imparted to the drive shaft 48 to the limit of tensile strength of the wire W, if desired.

As the wire W is wound on to the finishing block at the lower end portion thereof, it becomes unwound from the upper end portion of the finishing block 3 by rotation of the rotaryportions of the coilingdevice 23. The wrapping 0d arm 33 tends to rotate with the finishing block 3 due to the frictional engagement between the bearing 39 and friction washer 40, together with yielding bias of the spring 42, thus tending to preventunwinding of the wire from the finishing block 3. This tendency for the wrapping ofi arm 38 to rotate causes the wire W between the finishing block and the coiling device 23 to be maintained under tension as is that portion of the wire W which is moving around the pulleys 24, 30 and 31. In normal operation, the wire W is discharged from the coiling device 23 at the same speed at which it becomes wound on the finishing block 3. Under this normal condition, the wrapping oiT arm 38 will be stationary. However, should the wire W be discharged from the coiling device at a speed greater than the speed at which it leaves the finishing die 1, the wrapping ofl? arm 38 will rotate in a direction opposite to that of the finishing block 3, eventually stripping off all of the convolutions or" wire from the cylindrical portion 4 above that portion of the wire that is wrapped around the drive pulley 61. On the other hand, should the wire W be discharged from the coiling device 23 at a speed less than that at which it is wound on the finishing block 3, the wrapping off arm 38 will rotate in the same direction as the finishing block 3, thus tending to wrap additional convolutions of wire about the cylindrical portion 4. Hence, the crankequipped screw 59 may be manipulated to trim the speed of the coiling device 23 to a point where the wrapping off arm 38 remains stationary. It will be appreciated that, once the above-mentioned adjustment has been made, no further adjustment is necessary until the apparatus is used to coil wire of a different diameter. Then, only a slight adjustment of the adjustment screw 59 is necessary to coordinate the speeds. Further, when wire of different diameters are coiled by the apparatus, it is advisable to adjust the yielding bias of the spring 42 by means of the adjustment nut 45 to maintain optimum tension in the wire W between the finishing block 3 and the wire coiling device 23.

By utilizing the filament or wire itself as a driving element for the coiling device, the Wire will travel through the coiling device 23 at the same speed at which it is wound on the finishing block 3 regardless of the speed at which the finishing block 3 is rotated. Thus, the speed of the finishing block 3 may be accelerated or decelerated without the necessity of utilizing special means for controlling the speed of operation of the coiling device 23, as has been heretofore necessary when the coiling device has been operated by its own motor. Further, my novel driving means dispenses with the necessity of more elabo rate and expensive transmission mechanism for otherwise coupling the power driven finishing block 3 to the coiling device 23.

In the form of drive shown in FIG. 7, a shaft 48a, corresponding to the shaft 48, drives the hollow shaft 26 and parts carried thereby through the medium of a relatively large diameter pulley 69 fast on the shaft 48a, a relatively smaller diameter pulley 76 fast on the tubular shaft 26 and an endless belt 71 entrained over the pulleys 69 and 74). Below the bearing 59, the shaft 48a has journalled thereon, by means of rolling friction bearings 72, a drive pulley 61a similar to the drive pulley 61. As shown, the drive pulley 61a comprises a pair of plate like members 62a and 63a similar to the members 62 and 63 and secured together by screw 64 and defining a peripheral groove 63. The shaft 48:: is driven from the drive pulley 61:; by means of a clutch plate 73 that is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 48a below the drive pulley 61a, as indicated at 74, for common rotary movements with the shaft 48a and for axial sliding movements thereon toward and away from the plate like member 63a. An annular friction member 75 is interposed between the clutch plate 73 and plate like member 63a, and the clutch plate 73 is yieldingly urged toward operative engagement with the drive pulley 61a through the friction member 75 by a coil compression spring 76 that is interposed between the clutch plate 73 and a washer equipped adjusting nut 77 that is screw threaded on the lower threaded end 78 of the shaft 48a.

In the structure shown in FIG. 7, the relative sizes of the pulleys 69 and 7t) cause the coiling device 23 to be rotated at a speed which tends to draw filament from the finishing block at a greater rate of speed than it is Wound on the finishing block. This causes the filament between the finishing block and the coiling device to be placed under tension and slippage to occur between the clutch plate 73 and drive pulley 61a. The amount of slippage and the tension of the filament is determined by the adjustment of the nut 77 on the shaft end portion 78. Thus, overrunning of the finishing block, with consequent loosening of the filament therebetween and the coiling device is eliminated in the event that variations in speed of rotation of the finishing block takes place, such as when the same is decelerated to a stop at the end of a run, or the like. This arrangement eliminates the necessity for a movable wrapping off arm of the type indicated at 38, and a variable speed pulley such as 52, the adjustment of filament tension being accomplished by adjustment of the nut 77.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, the filament or wire W is shown extending directly from the drawing die 1 to the pulley 61 without first being wrapped around the finishing block 3 as in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 8, the filament W, as it leaves the drive pulley 61, is wound about the finishing block 3 to provide a plurality of convolutions thereon, and from thence to the coiling device, as shown in FIGS. 1-6 and described in connection therewith.

While I have shown and described preferred and modified embodiments of filament coiling apparatus, and meth- 0d of driving a coiling device, it will be understood that the same is capable of further modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a filament coiling apparatus:

(a) a cylindrical finishing block mounted for rotation on its axis and adapted to have a length of filament wound thereon at one end portion to provide a plurality of convolutions and unwound therefrom at its other end portion,

(b) means for imparting rotation to said finishing block in a direction to wind said filament thereon at said one end portion,

(c) a filament coiling device for reception of filament from said finishing block and including a rotary filament coiler element, and

((1) means for imparting filament coiling rotation to said coiler element and comprising:

(1) a drive shaft journalled in spaced relation to said finishing block,

(2) transmission mechanism operatively coupling said drive shaft to said coiler element, and

(3) a pulley operatively connected to said drive shaft having a peripheral groove adapted to receive and be at least partially wrapped by a portion of said filament when said filament is wound on said finishing block, whereby said drive shaft is driven by said filament responsive to rotation of said finishing block.

2. In a filament coiling apparatus:

(a) a cylindrical finishing block mounted for rotation on its axis and adapted to have a length of filament Wound thereon at one end portion to provide a plurality of convolutions and unwound therefrom at its other end portion,

(b) means for imparting rotation to said finishing block in -a direction to wind filament on said one end portion thereof,

(0) a filament coiling device for reception of filament from said finishing block and including a rotary filament coiler element journalled on an axis in spaced parallel relation to the axis of said finishing block, and

((1) means for imparting filament coiling rotation to said coiler element and comprising:

(1) a drive shaft journalled on an axis in spaced 7 parallel relation to the axis of said finishing block and coiler element,

(2) transmission mechanism operatively coupling said drive shaft to said coiler element, and

(3) a pulley operatively connected to said drive shaft having a peripheral groove adapted to receive and be at least partially wrapped by a portion of one of said convolutions looped thereabout, when said filament is Wound on said finishing block, whereby said drive shaft is driven by said filament responsive to rotation of said finishing block.

.3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which said transmission mechanism comprises:

(a) a rotary coiler shaft on said coiler element,

(b) a pair of pulleys on said drive shaft and coile'r shaft, one of the pulleys of said pair being a variable pitch diameter pulley,

(c) a belt entrained over said pair of pulleys, and

(d) means for varying the pitch diameter of said variable pitch diameter pulley.

4. The structure defined in claim} in which said peripheralgroove is defined by annular radially inwardly converging side wall surfaces, the angle defined by said surfaces being such that a filament portion contained therein is releasably wedged in said groove.

5. In a filament coiling apparatus:

(a) a cylindrical finishing block,

(b) means mounting said finishing block for rotation on its axis,

(c) said finishing block being adapted to have a length of filament wound thereon under tension at one end portion to provide a plurality of convolutions, and unwound therefrom at its other end portion,

(d) power operated means for imparting rotation to said finishing block,

(e) a filament coiling device for reception of filament from said finishing block and including a rotary filament coiler element and a coiler shaft mounting said coiler element, and

(f) means for imparting filament coiling rotation to said -coiler element and coiler shaft and comprising:

(1) a drive shaft,

(2) means mounting said drive shaft for rotation on an axis in spaced parallel relation to said coiler shaft,

(3) transmission mechanism operatively coupling said drive shaft to said coiler shaft, and

(4) a pulley mounted on said drive shaft for common rotation therewith and having a peripheral groove adapted to receive and be at least partially wrapped by a portion of said filament, when said filament is wound on said finishing block, whereby said drive shaft is driven by said filament responsive to rotation of said finishing block.

6. In a filament coiling apparatus:

(a) a cylindrical finishing block mounted for rotation on its axis and adapted to have a length of filament wound thereon at one end portion to provide a plurality of convolutions and unwound therefrom at its other end portion,

(b) means for imparting rotation to said finishing block in a direction to wind said filament thereon at said one end portion,

'(c) a filament coiling device for reception of filament from said finishing block and including a rotary filament ,coiler element, and

((1) means for imparting filament coiling rotation to said coiler element and comprising:

(,1) a drive shaft journalled in spaced relation to said finishing block,

(3) transmission mechanism operatively coupling said drive shaft to said coile'r element,

(3) a pulley journalled on said drive shaft and having a peripheral groove adapted to receive and be at least partially wrapped by a portion of said filament, when said filament is Wound on said finishing block, and

(4) clutch mechanism operatively connecting said pulley to said drive shaft to impart rotation to said shaft responsive to rotation of said finishing block.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which said clutch mechanism comprises a clutch member mounted on said shaft for common rotation therewith and for axial sliding movements thereon toward and away from operative frictional driving engagement with said pulley, and yielding means urging said clutch member toward operative engagement with said pulley.

8. The clutch mechanism of claim 7 further characterized by adjustable means on said shaft for varying the bias of said yielding means.

9. T he method of driving a filament coiling apparatus including a rotary cylindrical finishing block and a rotary coiling device having a drive shaft operatively connected thereto and a pulley on said drive shaft, said method comprising:

(a) winding said filament under tension about said finishing block to pro ide a plurality of convoluti-ons thereabout,

(b) entraining a portion of said filament under tension over said pulley to impart rotation to said pulley responsive to rotation of said finishing block,

(0) guiding said filament from said finishing block to said coiling device, and

(d) imparting rotation to said finishing block.

it The method of driving a filament coiling apparatus including a rotary cylindrical finishing block and a rotary coiling device having a drive shaft operatively connected thereto and a pulley on said drive shaft, said method comprising:

(a) winding said filament under tension about said finishing block to provide at least one convolution of said filament on said finishing block,

(b) entraining a portion of said filament under tension from said finishing block over said pulley,

(c) Winding said filament from said pulley around said finishing block under tension to provide a plurality of additional convolutions of said filament on said finishing block,

(d) guiding said filament from said finishing block to said coiling device, and

(e) imparting rotation to said finishing block.

11. The method of driving a filament coiling apparatus including a rotary cylindrical finishing block, a rotary coilingtdevice, a drive shaft operatively connected to said coiling device and a pulley on said drive shaft having a peripheral groove the sides of which converge radially inwardly, said method comprising:

(a) winding said filament under tension about said finishing block to provide at least one convolution of said filament thereon,

(b) entraining a portion of said filament under tension from said finishing block over said pulley to cause said filament portion to be releasably wedged in said peripheral groove,

(0) winding said filament from said pulley around said finishing block under tension to provide a plurality of additional convolutions of said filament on said finishing block,

(d) guiding said filament from said finishing block to said coiling device, and

(e) imparting rotation to said finishing block.

12. The method of driving a filament coiling apparatus including a rotary cylindrical finishing block and a rotary coiling device having a drive shaft operatively connected thereto and a pulley on said drive shaft, said method comprising:

(a) e'ntraining a portion of a filament under tension at least paitially around said pulley,

(b) winding said filament from said pulley around said finishing block, under tension, to provide a plurality of convolutions of said filament on said finishing block,

(c) guiding said filament from said finishing block to said coiling device, and

(d) imparting rotation to said finishing block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1953 Bell 242-82 11/1962 Nye et a1. 24282 

9. THE METHOD OF DRIVING A FILAMENT COILING APPARATUS INCLUDING A ROTARY CYLINDRICAL FINISHING BLOCK AND A ROTARY COILING DEVICE HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED THERETO AND A PULLEY ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: (A) WINDING SAID FILAMENT UNDER TENSION ABOUT SAID FINISHING BLOCK TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF CONVOLUTIONS THEREABOUT, (B) ENTRAINING A PORTION OF SAID FILAMENT UNDER TENSION OVER SAID PULLEY TO IMPART ROTATION TO SAID PULLEY RESPONSIVE TO ROTATION OF SAID FINISHING BLOCK, (C) GUIDING SAID FILAMENT FROM SAID FINISHING BLOCK TO SAID COILING DEVICE, AND (D) IMPARTING ROTATION TO SAID FINISHING BLOCK. 